HC Deb 22 July 1997 vol 298 cc487-9W
Mr. Dismore

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the present air quality standards in the vicinity of Brent Cross shopping centre, with reference to(a) carbon monoxide, (b) nitrogen oxide, (c) nitrogen dioxide and (d) particulate material below 10 microns; what are the pertinent European limits for (a) to (d); and if he will make a statement. [9185]

Angela Eagle

As part of its national air quality monitoring programme, my Department, in collaboration with local authorities, monitors air pollutants using automatic and non automatic methods across London. The two automatic monitoring stations closest to the Brent Cross shopping centre are (i) an urban background station in the Kingsbury area of the London boroughs of Brent and (ii) a roadside station situated next to the A41 Great North Way at Swiss Cottage, in the London borough of Camden. The results of this monitoring for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate material below 10 microns, measured during 1996, are presented in the Table below.

Site Carbon monoxide—max 8 hour running mean Nitrogen oxide—98th percentile of hourly means Nitrogen oxide—98th percentile of hourly means Particles (PM10) max 24 hour average
Brent 8.00 ppm 191 ppb 55 ppb 61 ug/m3
Camden Not measured 397 ppb 57 ppb 77 ug/m3

My Department also monitors nitrogen dioxide using non-automatic methods, in collaboration with local authorities, in its national diffusion tube survey. The results from the sites nearest to the shopping centre, for 1995, are given in the table.

London Borough Location Site type Annual mean(ppb)
Barnet 158 Burnet Oak Broadway, Edgware Kerbside 21
Barnet 32 Sanders Lane, Mill Hill Background 18
Barnet 158 Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware Intermediate 17
Barnet 42 Lylton Road, New Barnet Background 17
Brent Abbydale Road, Alperton, Wembley Kerbside 29
Brent Stanley Avenue, Wembley Background 20
Brent 66 Lodore Gardens, Kingsbury Background 20
Brent 349–357 High Road, Wembley Intermediate 21
Camden Camden Town Hall, Judd Street Kerbside 33
Camden Church Hall, Wakefield Street Background 19
Camden St. Andrew's United Reform Church, Finchley Road Intermediate 23
Camden 9–11 Froghal Way Background 18

European Community Directive 85/203/EEC sets a limit value for nitrogen dioxide of 104.6 ppb as a 98th percentile of hourly means. There are currently no European limits for nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide or particulate material below 10 microns.

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